1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for the collection and treatment of biological waste, and for rendering the biological waste biologically inactive for the safe and economical environmentally non-contaminating disposal thereof. Moreover, the invention is also directed to an arrangement for the collection and treatment of biological waste utilizing the inventive process, and is especially adapted for the collection and treatment of biological waste which is generated during an embalming procedure implemented on a cadaver, such as a human cadaver.
In general, the disposal of waste, and especially the collection of biological waste and treatment thereof so as to render the biological waste safe for easy, economically viable and environmentally non-contaminating disposal is subject to ever increasing difficulties, which are encountered on a worldwide or universal scale. Hereby, not only is it becoming ever more difficult to obtain adequate landfill or permanent storage space for the disposal of waste, but in addition thereto, particularly biological waste must be collected and treated in a manner as to be resultingly easily rendered biologically sterile and safe in order to conform with more stringent environmental regulations and standards currently being promulgated; for example, as proposed by the Federal/EPA, local and municipal ordinances and the like.
Among various problems which have been addressed by the waste treatment/disposal technology is the rendering of biological waste environmentally non-contaminating; in effect, to essentially prevent such collected biological and potentially toxic waste from polluting ground water and soil endangering the life and health of the population; for instance, when such waste contains one or more radioactive, toxic or biologically hazardous constituents.
Attempts are currently being made to render biological waste disposable in an environmentally safe or non-contaminating manner; however, these efforts have not been specifically directed towards obviating the difficulties encountered in collecting and treating biological waste generated during embalming procedures carried out in undertaking establishments, that obtained during surgical operating procedures or during the autopsying or dissection of cadavers, in which considerable biological fluid components, such as bloods and the like must be flushed from the cadaver in conjunction with possibly present embalming and processing chemicals, such as formaldehyde and the like. At this time, generally such biologically active or contaminated fluids are flushed into a drain and normally conducted into municipal sewage or drainage systems, and with solids components contained in the fluid or blood, such as blood clots, body parts, tissue, fats and other chemicals frequently being flushed into the drainage or sewage system while entrained in the fluids. This method of disposing of biological waste has led to potentially serious and hazardous, health-endangering contamination of ground water or soil due to seepage of the waste liquids and necessitated the installation and maintenance of highly expensive waste treatment plants in various municipalities and geographic locales.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Although various systems have been designed and developed for the treatment and disposal of biological waste, none of these have been able to facilitate an easy, safe and environmentally non-contaminating disposal adapted to extensively reduce costs and the volumetric extent of the treated waste, while rendering the latter biologically inactive and safe for sterile disposal, and concurrently eliminating or reducing the need for large waste treatment systems, storage and disposal sites or landfills.
Among various arrangements and methods for the treatment of biological or toxic waste, especially biological waste incorporating solid and liquid constituents; for instance, such as may be encountered during the embalming of cadavers, consideration must be given to potentially applicable types of waste disposal technology.
Gayman U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,560 discloses a sludge treatment process wherein sludge including toxic materials is conducted through a series of heating stations, such as microwave ovens, which will essentially evaporate and separate out the liquid portion of the sludge and enable the resultant dried components to be conveyed into suitable containments for permanent storage.
Carr, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,807 discloses a continuous particle separation process incorporating a plurality of steps in which particulate material is separated in sequential filtering stages from a fluid so as to facilitate the classification of the various components and separate disposal thereof.
McGuire U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,969 discloses a self-contained viscera treatment unit in which liquids may be drained from viscera which is removed from a cadaver, and the viscera stored until subsequently replaced in the cadaver or human remains for burial, cremation or other suitable disposal. There is no disclosure of providing an installation or process for rendering waste biologically safe for environmentally non-contaminating disposal.
Witek U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,219 discloses a system for filtering suspended solids from a liquid in which the solids are entrained, whereby the solids-containing liquid is passed through a filtering unit such as a filter bag, which enables the solids to be retained therein and separated from the liquid being discharged therethrough.
Copeland U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,561 discloses a method for drying biological sludge in which a filtering system employs heating components adapted to evaporate liquid constituents of the sludge so as to enable the disposal of dried residual combustible portions in a combustion system.
Ritchey U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,910 discloses an apparatus and method for handling and embalming viscera in which the latter are placed into a liquid-impervious liner contained within a bucket while a cadaver is being prepared. Thereafter, the liner is sealed and replaced together with its contents in the cadaver for burial or cremation. There is no disclosure of a system analogous to that contemplated by the invention for the collection and treatment of biological waste in order to render it biologically inactive for environmentally-safe disposal thereof.
Fischer, et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,901,410 and 4,980,956 each disclose an anatomical preparation station which enables embalming fluids, body tissues and biological discharges from a cadaver to flow through a drain hole located in a cadaver preparation table into a sink so as to be admixed with a continuous water flush for subsequent conduction into a municipal drainage or sewage system. There is no provision in these disclosures for rendering such biological waste biologically inactive and safe for the disposal thereof in accordance with municipal and federal environmental regulations which are concurrently in force or intended to be promulgated in order to protect the environment and population.
Finally, Deutscher U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,481 discloses an embalming system and method in which embalming fluid and other biological liquid waste is drained from a cadaver into a disposable container which is subsequently arrangeable with its contents in a coffin in conjunction with the burial with the other remains of the cadaver. However, as in the above-mentioned publications, there is no consideration given to the aspects of rendering such biological waste biologically inactive for the environmentally safe disposal thereof, inasmuch as it is conceivable that over an extended period of time, such untreated biological waste may leak into the ground upon the rotting and resultant breach of the coffin, whereby the waste when mixed with ground moisture or rain water, may potentially contaminate the environment.